Apparatus for studying wear on materials in a hermetic enclosure



Dec. 7, 1965 M. ALFRED ETAL APPARATUS FOR STUDYING WEAR ON MATERIALS IN A HERMETIC ENCLOSURE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 12, 1962 9G0OOQOOOOOQOOOODODQOOQOUO QOOOUOOOOOOGGOGOQQQQOGG00 Dec. 7, 1965 ALFRED ETAL 3,221,534

APPARATUS FOR STUDYING WEAR ON MATERIALS IN A HERME'I'IC ENCLOSURE Filed June 12, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 7, 1965 M. ALFRED ETAL APPARATUS FOR STUDYING WEAR ON MAT BRIALS IN A HERMETIC ENCLOSURE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 12, 1962 United States Patent 3,221,534 APPARATUS FOR STUDYING. WEAR 0N MATERIALS IN A HERMETIC ENCLOSURE Marc Alfred, La Trinite, and Andr Marcelin, Paris,

France, assignors to Commissariat a IEnergie Atomique, Paris, France Filed June-12, 1962, Ser. No. 201,974 Claims priority, application France, June 21, 1961, 865,560 3 Claims. (Cl. 73-7) The present invention relates to apparatus for studying wear on materials in a conditionedatmosphere.

Generally, the study of wear consists in causing two members to move-inrelation to one another, these being positioned so that they are in contact with one another, and in measuring the volume or weight of material detached from one of thesemembers under specified conditions'of friction, either over aninterval of time or having regard to the number of rotation or the length of path'travelled. The running ;parts are generally selected from two different metals, the movable part, for example, being of a hard metal and the fixed partwhereon the measuring is effected; of a soft metal.

It may be necessary to study wear on materials under various conditions of friction, in particular with regard to the nature of the atmosphere in which the contacting parts are moved, the pressure of this atmosphere, its temperature, etc. The study of the influence of these various parameters on the phenomenon of wear requires complicated equipment which is particularly difficult to construct since one of the pieces located Within an enclosure, wherein particular hermetic conditions are required if it is wished to operate at high temperature and pressure, is to be caused to move. In particular, the use of hermetic joints or membranes necessitated by the passage of driving members through the wall of the enclosure ceases to be practical when the pressures within this enclosure reach high values.

The present invention has for an object apparatus for studying the wear on two relatively moving members inside an enclosure under high pressure and temperature and it solves the particular problems raised by the hermetic sealing of the enclosure.

According to the invention, the apparatus comprises a first friction member having a cylindrical revolving surface, integral with the enclosure and rotated around its axis of revolution, and at least one other friction member, tangentially arranged with respect to the first friction member and integral with a movable device within the said enclosure, said device retaining a fixed position in space under the effect of the moment of forces of gravity acting on said device, about the said axis of revolution.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which show some embodiments thereof, by way of example, and in which:

FIGURE 1 shows a plan view of a first embodiment of apparatus according to the invention,

FIGURE 2 shows a side view of the apparatus of FIG- URE 1,

FIGURE 3 shows a plan view of a second embodiment,

FIGURE 4 shows a side view of the apparatus of FIG- URE 3,

FIGURE 5 shows a plan View of a modification of the apparatus of FIGURES 3 and 4, and

FIGURE 6 shows a side view of the apparatus of FIG- URE 5.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus shown in FIG URES l and 2 comprises a cylindrically shaped enclosure 1 (shown in axial section in FIGURE 1) rotated about 3,221,534 Patented Dec. 7, 1965 its long axis by suitable drive means such as the motor 1' within which is axially secured a cylindrical member 2 driven with the enclosure and constituting the first friction member referred to above. A fixed cover 3 enables the enclosure to be hermetically sealed by means of a hermetic joint 4 enclosure 1 rotating in contact therewith.

Apertures 5, 6 are provided in the cover for receiving.

nozzles, not illustrated. These nozzles enable the atmosphere within the enclosure to be taken to a specified pressure before starting each experiment. Moreover, by arranging the enclosure 1 in a furnace 7, the atmosphere of the enclosure may besubjected to a specified temperature which in turn may be controlled by means of a suitable measuring device provided in a-central conduit 8 located on the cover 3.

A movable device comprising a mass 9 is located within the enclosure, by means of tie rods 10 and 11 on rollers 12 and 13 having enlarged ends. The rollers move in a cylindrical slot in the inner surface of the enclosure. Two tie rods 14 and 15 are fixedto the mass 9, to support a horizontal shaft acting as pivot for one or more disc bearers 17 by means of which it is possible, using a counterweight 18, to apply sample disc such as 19 to the cylindrical member 2 fixed to the base of the enclosure. These sample discs constitute the other friction member; it is onthese that the measuring will be effected, as will be seen hereinafter. By selecting counter-weights 18 of different masses, it is obvious that the contact pressure of the friction members may bevaried.

When the enclosure is set in movement, the movable device rotates within it and thus retains, by reason of the distance between its centre of gravity and the rotation axis of the enclosure, a fixed position in space. The sample discs integral with this device consequently rub on the cylindrical member 2 rotated with the enclosure. The study of wear consists, after a specified number of revolutions of the enclosure, in measuring the surface of the sample discs. Obviously assuming that the sample disc is of a soft metal and that the cylindrical member of hard metal undergoes negligible wear, comparative studies of wear may be made with regard to the various perameters such as the nature of the atmosphere inside the enclosure, its temperature, its pressure, these parameters being given by way of example and being in no way limitative.

In a second embodiment, such as that shown in FIG- URES 3 and 4, the enclosure 26} may be of any given shape.

A cylindrical member 21 is fixed inside the enclosure, the axis of the cylindrical member coinciding with the axis of rotation of the enclosure and constituting one of the friction members. A counterweight is suspended from the cylindrical member 21, and as result of the distance between its centre of gravity and the axis of this member, it retains a fixed position in space when the enclosure is in movement. This counter-weight comprises a mass 22 integral with two flanges 23 and 24 acting, on the one hand, as supports for a roller having enlarged edges 25 and, on the other hand, for a disc-bearing device. The latter comprises two tie-rods 26, 27 fixed between the two flanges 23 and 24; these tie-rods act to support a sliding member 28 whereon may be fixed a sample disc 29; two screws 30 and 31 enable the sliding member to be immobilised on the tie-rods. It is seen that the roller 25 co-operates with the sample disc 29 to support the counter-weight and ensure the movability of the latter in relation to the cylindrical member 21. Moreover, the movement of this counter-weight may be guided by providing the cylindrical member 21 with two annular stops between which the roller 25 moves.

FIGURES 5 and 6 show a modification of the second embodiment of FIGURES 3 and 4. This modification consists in arranging the sample support system according to the axis of symmetry of the counter-weight, the guiding of the latter being effected by means of two rollers 32 and 33 located on either side of the said axis of symmetry. This arrangement results in better balancing of the counter-weight and, in particular, eliminates oscillations of the latter which may occur during rotation of the enclosure.

In both cases, the measuring principle is the same as for the first embodiment, consisting in deducting from the surface of the sample disc the weight or volume of material detached therefrom after a certain number of revolutions of the enclosure.

It will be apparent that the invention is in no way limited by the embodiment described and illustrated which are given solely by way of example.

What We claim is:

1. Apparatus for studying the wear on materials comprising a hermetic rotatable enclosure, a first friction memher having a cylindrical revolving surface axially secured to said enclosure and rotatable with said enclosure around the aXis of revolution of said first friction member, at least one second friction member comprising a sample friction disc having an axis parallel to the axis of said first friction member and tangentially arranged with respect to said first friction member in said enclosure, a supporting device for said second friction member movably mounted within said enclosure, means for guiding the movement of said supporting device in said enclosure relative to said first friction member and means for maintaining said supporting device in a fixed position in space under the effect due to the force of gravity acting on said device about the axis of revolution of said first friction member, said supporting device comprising a mass movable within said enclosure, means for supporting said mass on one side of said first friction member and for supporting said second friction member on the other side of said first friction member, said supporting means maintaining said second friction member against said first friction member.

2. Apparatus as described in claim 1, said mass moving on the inner surface of said enclosure, a tie rod fixed to said mass, a disc bearer pivoted around said tie rod, said sample friction disc being mounted on said bearer and a counterweight mounted on said bearer for applying said disc to said first friction member.

3. Apparatus for studying the wear on materials comprising a hermetic rotatable enclosure, a first friction member having a cylindrical revolving surface axially secured to said enclosure and rotatable with said enclosure around the axis of revolution of said first friction member, at least one second friction member comprising a sample friction disc having an axis parallel to the axis of said first friction member and tangentially arranged with respect to said first friction member in said enclosure, a supporting device for said second friction member movably mounted Within said enclosure, means for guiding the movement of said supporting device in said enclosure relative to said first friction member and means for maintaining said supporting device in a fixed position in space under the effect of the force of gravity acting on said device about the axis of revolution of said first friction member, said supporting device comprising a mass suspended on said first friction member, spaced flanges secured to said mass, said first friction member being located between said flanges, said sample disc being mounted between said flanges and bearing on said first friction member and at least one guide roller mounted between said flanges and bearing on said first friction member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1962 Kopczyski. 7/1962 Knudsen 73-9 LOUIS R. PRINCE, Primary Examiner.

D. O. WOODIEL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR STUDYING THE WEAR ON MATERIALS COMPRISING A HERMETIC ROTATABLE ENCLOSURE, A FIRST FRICTION MEMBER HAVING A CYLINDRICAL REVOLVING SURFACE AXIALLY SECURED TO SAID ENCLOSURE AND ROTATABLE WITH SAID ENCLOSURE AROUND THE AXIS OF REVOLUTION OF SAID FIRST FRICTION MEMBER, AT LEAST ONE SECOND FRICTION MEMBER COMPRISING A SAMPLE FRICTION DISC HAVING AN AXIS PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF SAID FIRST FRICTION MEMBER AND TANGENTIALLY ARRANGED WITH RESPECT TO SAID FIRST FRICTION MEMBER IN SAID ENCLOSURE, A SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR SAID SECOND FRICTION MEMBER MOVABLY MOUNTED WITHIN SAID ENCLOSURE, MEANS FOR GUIDING THE MOVEMENT OF SAID SUPPORTING DEVICE IN SAID ENCLOSURE RELATIVE TO SAID FIRST FRICTION MEMBER AND MEANS FOR MAINTAINING SAID SUPPORTING DEVICE IN A FIXED POSITION IN SPACE UNDER THE EFFECT DUE TO THE FORCE OF GRAVITY ACTING ON SAID DEVICE ABOUT THE AXIS OF REVOLUTION OF SAID FIRST FRICTION MEMBER, SAID SUPPORTING DEVICE COMPRISING A MASS MOVABLE WITHIN SAID ENCLOSURE, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID MASS ON ONE SIDE OF SAID FIRST FRICTION MEMBER AND FOR SUPPORTING SAID SECOND FRICTION MEMBER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID FIRST FRICTION MEMBER, SAID SUPPORTING MEANS MAINTAINING SAID SECOND FRICTION MEMBER AGAINST SAID FIRST FRICTION MEMBER. 